Local

Chautauqua Institution, NY – Oliver Thomas knows that his credentials are usually listed as Baptist minister, representative of the National Council of Churches and a lot of other big religious groups. But Thomas points out that he's also co-authored a handbook for the ACLU on religion in public schools, protecting the first amendment for everyone. A minister, lawyer, author and community leader, Thomas delivers next Friday's lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, "Church and State in America: Battle Ground or Common Ground."

Buffalo, NY – Jim and Tony play a selection from Spam-A-Lot as they discuss CDs from hit musicals. It can be helpful if tickets to the show are hard to come by, but then again not every musical is good. Also, a review of Romeo and Juliet, this summer's first presentation of Shakespeare in Delaware Park.

Buffalo, NY – Jim sings the praises of air conditioning, which makes for a more enjoyable summer theater experience. Jim and Tony discuss the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, although neither has seen it! Tony also talks about his recent New York visit to see Constant Wife (which will also be at the Shaw Festival), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf with Kathleen Turner, and The Paris Letter. Also, a list of some local offerings.

Buffalo, NY – Jim is upbeat about the return of the Louis Prima-inspired musical Zooma Zooma at Studio Arena. Tony discusses The Devils at the Mickiewicz Theater, and Tony admits he actually SANG at Monday night's Arties awards. Congratulations to all the winners, especially to WBFO Community Relations Associate Kelli Bocock-Natale and to frequent WBFO contributor Gary Earl Ross.

Buffalo, NY – WBFO's Christopher Jamele presents his almanac for June 2005. He continues his chronicles of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from 200 years ago. Chris also tells us June is known as National Dairy Month and National Accordian Awareness Month.

Buffalo, NY – Jim and Tony discuss the revivals of Gypsy, which is featured at two different area locales. Also, Tony recommends Vanessa Redgrave in Hecuba at the Kennedy Center in Washington, and the guys remind you not to miss the Tony awards on Sunday.

One of Western New York's most acclaimed writers returns home to Buffalo Friday night. Internationally known, award winning poet Lucille Clifton is the special guest of the Locust Street Art Center. Clifton will offer a reading and share memories of her early years growing up on Buffalo's East Side.

Buffalo, NY – Jim and Tony prepare their crowns, tiaras and toupees for tonight's Curtain Up celebrations in downtown Buffalo. They also pay tribute to Fred Ebb, and discuss the Kavinoky production of Anything Goes.

Buffalo, NY – The project is called "World of Voices," a collaboration to promote cultural awareness through literature. It's a three part collaboration. One part is the funder, the Oishei Foundation. Another part is the publisher, White Pine Press. And the final part is the literary center, Just Buffalo. The goal is to connect with high-need inner city students.

The first of 12 writers-in-residence is Native American author Maurice Kenny. Click the "listen" icon above to hear Mary Van Vorst's Spoken Arts.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario – The Royal Family by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber continues at the Shaw Festival through November 23rd.

Broadway was at its peak in 1927, the year The Royal Family opened. The ascendancy of the cinema and the effects of the Depression were yet to come, and the power and cachet of the Broadway stage created huge stars who were treated like - royalty!

Buffalo, NY – William Kennedy counts it as a gift that he's been able to stay in one place and know it as intimately as he knows Albany. It's been the site of all seven of his novel, including his Pulitzer Prize winning "Ironweed." His latest work is a political novel called "Roscoe."

Buffalo, NY – Ken Edwards lives in London, where he writes and runs a small publication called "Reality Street Editions." He and his wife vacationed in Buffalo this summer, exchaging homes with a friend.

Buffalo, NY – Patricia O'Conner is not only a former editor for the New York Times, she's a person who checks her e-mail eight times a day. So, she knows of what she speaks when it comes to e-mail etiquette. O'Conner has come out with a new edition of her book, "Woe Is I: A Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English." She takes on the "wired world" as well as reader questions about "ain't and gonna."

Buffalo, NY – Fifty-two of the world's most famous paintings are now in Buffalo. "Masterworks from the Phillips Collections" is the latest banner exhibition at the Albright Knox Art Gallery. The exhibit includes rarely traveled paintings from the world-renowned Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to come see the beautiful paintings.

Buffalo, NY – It's a book for word lovers, especially lovers of rare words, which is in fact the name of the book, Rare Words. Written by a father-daughter team, the book is a collection of what the two call "500 arcane but useful words for language lovers." Click the "listen" icon above to hear Jan and Hallie Leighton as they join WBFO's Mary Van Vorst for Spoken Arts.

Buffalo, NY – WBFO's Chris Jamele presents a new feature on Weekend Edition Sunday. It's a monthly almanac. Click the "listen" icon above to hear the June almanac. In the future, we hope to include Chris' script along with the audio feature.

Buffalo, NY – Buffalo climbed one spot to become the number eight arts destination in the country. That's according to this year's reader's poll by AmericanStyle magazine. The results of the top 25 list were released in the June issue that went on sale at newsstands Sunday.

According to AmericanStyle, there's an artistic rebirth of the "rustbelt" going on. And Buffalo is leading the charge. The "Queen City" moved up another rung on the must-see arts city ladder.

Buffalo, NY – A local ballet company that caters strictly to training young dancers premiers its first full-length ballet Friday and Saturday at UB's Center for the Arts. It's the Greater Buffalo Youth Ballet's production of "Cinderella."

Buffalo, NY – It's April - spring is in the air - and so is poetry! Throughout the month of April, communities are celebrating National Poetry Month.

About a hundred local poets will gather on April 27 for an Urban Epiphany. The marathon poetry event will feature the poets reciting their work. As a preview, each Sunday this month, WBFO will feature a few of them.

Buffalo, NY – Throughout the month of April, literary lovers everywhere come together to celebrate National Poetry Month. And later this month in Buffalo, there will be an Urban Epiphany of Poetry. The marathon poetry event will introduce some of the areas most talented poets. As a preview, today and each Sunday this month, WBFO features a few of them.